Just thinking of some guys who were good players but will never sniff the Hall of Game. Trying to avoid one year wonders. Guys you remember as being a tough out for a few years or key players in a pennant chase.


A couple to start things out:


Harold Baines

Andy Van Slyke

Marquise Grissom

Howard Johnson


Who do you remember?

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“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.”
― Albert Camus

OK...I'll play:


Larry Bowa

Tug McGraw

Rusty Staub

Richie Allen (one of my faves growing up)

Jimmy Wynn

Bert Campaneris

Dave Parker

Manny Sanguillen

Bernie Williams

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My all time favorite, Jay Buhner

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I remember the good Yankee teams of the 90's had a bunch of guys like that. Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill.

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Was trying not to be too Phillies heavy since I grew up with them in the 70's and 80's. But have to make an all-Phillies list in that category.


Bake McBride

Gary Maddox

Jay Johnstone

Ollie Brown

Sixto Lezcano

Bob Boone

Greg Luzinski


I could go on forever. I used to be totally immersed in MLB until my mid-30s.

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I'll add some non pitchers that weren't already mentioned:

 

Alan Trammell

Lou Whitaker

Willie Horton

Rico Carty

Ralph Garr

Al Oliver

Reggie Smith

Steve Garvey

Ron Cey

Davey Lopes

Pedro Guerrero

Mark Grace

Darrell Evans

Dave Concepcion

Ellis Burks

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Mark Lemke

Terry Pendleton

Mike Cameron

Brian Jordan

Mark Whitten

Ozzie Guillen

Cecil Fielder

John Kruk

Damon Berryhill

Javy Lopez

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Thinking about this got me thinking about something that happened a long time ago.  I used to play/coach my softball team and we sold raffle tickets for unis and one of the prizes was a couple of box seats to a Phillies-Mets game.

 

Well, the game that I bought tickets for (a good two months in advance) turned out to be a record-setter.  Von Hayes had two home runs in the first inning and the Phillies end up winning 26-7.

 

The next day at work I go up to the guy who had won the tickets…also a huge Phillies fan.  I ask him, “So dude, pretty awesome game huh?  How was it?”

 

He says, “Pretty good.  I only saw a little, wife wanted to watch another show.”

 

Dude had forgotten he won the tickets.

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I would classify this player as great, but he seems to be over looked a lot, Fred Mcgriff.

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I would classify this player as great, but he seems to be over looked a lot, Fred Mcgriff.

 

For what it's worth,  the players I included are ones that probably won't get into the HOF.  But I consider some of them great players.

 

Fred McGriff is someone I would have put on my list if he came to mind.   He was indeed underrated.

 

Carlos Delgado is another player that I would put in the Fred McGriff category.  

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Was trying not to be too Phillies heavy since I grew up with them in the 70's and 80's. But have to make an all-Phillies list in that category.


Bake McBride

Gary Maddox

Jay Johnstone

Ollie Brown

Sixto Lezcano

Bob Boone

Greg Luzinski


I could go on forever. I used to be totally immersed in MLB until my mid-30s.

 

 The Phillies had some very good teams in those days.   You brought back some very good memories.  

 

  When Jay Johnstone and ' Downtown' Ollie Brown come to mind,  I think of them as top notch pinch hitters when they weren't playing practically everyday.

 

  Garry Maddox was a good Offensive player but was a great CF.   

 

  Greg Luzinski was a great power hitter,  who got on base plenty but his lack of speed and Defensive skills proved costly at times for the Phillies.    I'm totally against the DH but Luzinski would have been a much better fit as a DH than as a LF.

 

   Regarding pinch hitters,   I put Manny Mota at or near the top of any list.  

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Was trying not to be too Phillies heavy since I grew up with them in the 70's and 80's. But have to make an all-Phillies list in that category.


Bake McBride

Gary Maddox

Jay Johnstone

Ollie Brown

Sixto Lezcano

Bob Boone

Greg Luzinski


I could go on forever. I used to be totally immersed in MLB until my mid-30s.

 

I'll add another Philadelphia guy or two:

 

Darren Daulton

Lenny Dykstra

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“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.”
― Albert Camus

Orel Hershiser and Albert Belle from those 90s Indians teams

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“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.”
― Albert Camus

Mookie Blaylock Wilson. He was never great, but that guy could fight off a 3-2 pitch for what seemed like an hour.

 

Dale Murphy. He gave a lot of years to a pretty bad Braves roster.

 

Mark Grace. Guy was just fun to watch. He always appeared to genuinely enjoy playing baseball.

 

Bernie Williams. Simply put, teams have to have a player like Williams in order to be good.

 

Walt Weiss. Solid Shortstop that I always enjoyed watching play.

 

Mike Mussina. I would always watch him pitch, even when he was wearing the pinstripes.

 

Gary Sheffield. Head case, but he hit the ball hard every game. It might not always result in a fair hit, but he made contact.

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I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

For what it's worth,  the players I included are ones that probably won't get into the HOF.  But I consider some of them great players.

 

Fred McGriff is someone I would have put on my list if he came to mind.   He was indeed underrated.

 

Carlos Delgado is another player that I would put in the Fred McGriff category.  

Delgado's homeruns were a thing of beauty

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When discussing past Phillies teams,  another player that came to mind is Joe Carter,  who hit a walk off World Series winning HR against the Phillies.  

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Mookie Blaylock. He was never great, but that guy could fight off a 3-2 pitch for what seemed like an hour.


Dale Murphy. He gave a lot of years to a pretty bad Braves roster.


Mark Grace. Guy was just fun to watch. He always appeared to genuinely enjoy playing baseball.


Bernie Williams. Simply put, teams have to have a player like Williams in order to be good.


Walt Weiss. Solid Shortstop that I always enjoyed watching play.


Mike Mussina. I would always watch him pitch, even when he was wearing the pinstripes.


Gary Sheffield. Head case, but he hit the ball hard every game. It might not always result in a fair hit, but he made contact.

I believe you mean Mookie Wilson.


Blaylock was a basketball player.

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I believe you mean Mookie Wilson.


Blaylock was a basketball player.

 

Dang it. You're right.

 

Did I ever tell you how much it hurts being this stoopid?

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I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

When discussing past Phillies teams, another player that came to mind is Joe Carter, who hit a walk off World Series winning HR against the Phillies.

Off of Mitch 'Wild Thing' Williams, actually. Phillies never belonged in that Series to begin with. They got hot at the right time and Dykstra went nuts in the playoffs and series.

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I'll add another Philadelphia guy or two:


Darren Daulton

Lenny Dykstra

Dykstra. Another turd of a human being.


Did enjoy him as a player.

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